From August 1, we welcome Ruban Basilea. This is without a doubt one of the most exciting recruitment we have made, and he will be working in our Digital Solutions department. Ruban has 11 years of experience in digitizing industrial processes and optimizing maintenance and inspection. He will therefore strengthen our position in the digital transformation of maintenance and inspection, and we are very pleased that he will work with us at Maintech and use his experience to assist us and our customers.
But this is not the first time Ruban has worked in Norway, he has previously worked with artificial intelligence in Shell, which is award winning.
Ruban pictured with Alfred Nerland from his time at Shell.
– I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ruban on a project at Shell, and he is exceptionally talented. The initiatives in AI and new ways of working that he and Alfred delivered at Shell are highly impressive, and they immediately strengthen Maintech’s capabilities in digital solutions and inspection management.
Get to know Ruban better
Why is he moving from India to Norway and who is Ruban? We had a chat with him, read on and get to know our new colleague a little better.
Why are you moving to Trondheim, and what made you accept a job at Maintech?
While working at Shell, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the Nyhamna team in Norway for nearly a year. During that time, I was truly impressed by the working culture, openness to innovation, and eagerness to adopt new technologies. It encouraged me to think differently and challenge myself to look beyond conventional solutions.
With more than 11 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, I have always been passionate about learning, exploring new technologies, and taking on new challenges.
When the opportunity came to move to Trondheim and join Maintech, it felt like the perfect next step. I was especially excited because of Maintech's strong reputation in innovation, digitalization, and knowledge sharing initiatives such as the Maintech Conference, along with the chance to work with highly experienced professionals.
What are you most looking forward to about moving to a new country?
I'm looking forward to new challenges, new experiences, and the opportunity to contribute with my skills and experience while also learning from others. I enjoy working closely with teams, leading where needed, and creating a positive impact. Experiencing a new culture and way of working is something I'm genuinely excited about.
What do you think you will miss the most from Chennai?
Definitely my family. We are a big family and have always lived very closely together. I will miss my parents, cousins, siblings, neighbors, and the everyday moments we share. Chennai will always feel like home to me.
What do you like most about your current job?
What excites me most about my current role is the opportunity to combine engineering, problem solving, and AI innovation into something that creates real impact. As an AI Engineer, I develop AI agents and intelligent assistant systems focused on engineering and operational workflows.
I enjoy understanding real user challenges and turning complex processes into practical, easy to use AI solutions. What interests me most is building systems that support people in their daily work helping teams make faster, smarter, and more informed decisions while simplifying operational tasks.
What would you like new customers to know about you?
My journey has been a mix of hands on engineering, industrial operations, and digital innovation. I started my career from the ground level in the shipping industry as a Technical Engineer, working on troubleshooting and root cause analysis for electrical and electronic systems. That early experience taught me how critical practical thinking and problem solving are in real world operations.
From there, I moved into the petrochemical industry in Chennai as an Instrumentation Engineer, where I worked on both greenfield and brownfield projects and gained strong experience with sensors, DCS, PLC systems, and advanced process controls.
Later, at Shell, I worked as a Maintenance and Reliability Data Analyst across global assets including Qatar (Pearl GTL), and Norway (Nyhamna). Working in different countries and operational environments gave me valuable exposure to reliability engineering, data-driven maintenance, and large-scale industrial operations.
As technology evolved, so did my interests. My passion for digitalization and continuous learning led me into AI engineering, where I now develop intelligent AI solutions and engineering assistants focused on improving workflows, simplifying complex data, and supporting operational decision-making.
What makes my experience unique is the ability to connect field engineering knowledge with modern digital technologies. I enjoy building solutions that are not only innovative, but also practical, scalable, and valuable for real industrial environments.
What do you enjoy doing when you're not at work?
I'm an electronics hobbyist and enjoy working with Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and building robotic cars. I love experimenting with technology and creating small engineering projects in my free time.
What are you really good at that isn't listed on your CV?
I'm a quick learner and easily adapt to new technologies and environments. I'm also very comfortable with computer systems and networking. Furthermore, I have extensive practical experience with Yokogawa DCS systems, ABB PLCs, industrial sensors and instrumentation, IoT (Internet of things) and control room operations.
Which book, podcast, or TV series would you recommend right now?
I would definitely recommend the TV series Prison Break and Alice in Borderland both are incredibly engaging and keep you thinking throughout.
For books, two titles that have been on my reading list for a long time are
- How the World Really Works by Vaclav Smil
- The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins.
I'm hoping to finally start reading them once I settle down in Norway and get into a new routine.
What do you think will be the biggest difference between Trondheim and Chennai?
The biggest difference will definitely be the climate! Chennai is known for its heat and humidity, while Trondheim will be a completely new experience with snow and very cold winters.
At the same time, both cities are strong in their own ways. Chennai is a fast growing industrial and technology hub, while Trondheim is well known for innovation, research, sustainability, and advanced engineering.
looking forward to experiencing Norwegian work-life balance, outdoor culture, and the beautiful nature around Trondheim.
Family relocation
What did your wife say when you got the job in Norway?
Actually, I discussed the opportunity with my wife before accepting the offer because we always make important decisions together.
Her immediate response was,
“Don’t miss this opportunity.”
Her support and encouragement gave me even more confidence to take this exciting next step.
Ruban is bringing his wife and daughter from Chennai, with over 4 million inhabitants, to tiny Trondheim, with many new things for them to get to grips with. It's quite a journey they're embarking on, and it's this attitude that we find very impressive.
Which myth about your field would you like to debunk once and for all?
One common myth is that "more data automatically creates better AI insights." In reality, successful AI depends more on data quality, context, and domain understanding than simply collecting massive amounts of data.
Another misconception is that AI works like magic on its own. In industrial environments, effective AI requires strong engineering knowledge, reliable process data, and close collaboration between domain experts and technology teams.
I also believe that not every industrial problem needs AI to solve it. In many cases, simple automation, better digitalization, or improving existing workflows can create significant value more effectively than introducing complex AI solutions.
Which technology or trend do you think will have the biggest impact on the industry going forward?
I believe Industry 5.0 will significantly shape the future of industrial operations. While Industry 4.0 focused mainly on automation and connectivity, Industry 5.0 is more about combining human expertise with intelligent systems to improve efficiency, reliability, sustainability, and decision-making.
I'm particularly interested in AI-driven decision support, predictive maintenance, industrial digitalization, and collaborative robotics. I see AI as a tool that helps engineers and operators make faster, more accurate, and data-driven decisions by simplifying complex data and operational workflows.
Welcome to Maintech and Trondheim, Ruban! We all look forward to see you in August.
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